Swatantrya Veer Savarkar trailer launch: Randeep Hooda explains why he doesn’t consider the freedom fighter a ‘maafiveer’; also says, “America recently made Oppenheimer. But in our country, we are shooting down our own icons, which is UNBELIEVABLE”

By Fenil Seta -

March 4, 2024 - 3:10 PM IST

The trailer of Swatantrya Veer Savarkar was held today in Mumbai in the presence of actor-producer-director Randeep Hooda and fellow producers, Sandeep Singh and Anand Pandit. Randeep at the very beginning was asked why he chose to make a film on the freedom fighter. The actor gave a detailed answer and even drew parallels to 2023’s Hollywood blockbuster, Oppenheimer (2023).

Swatantrya Veer Savarkar trailer launch: Randeep Hooda explains why he doesn’t consider the freedom fighter a ‘maafiveer’; also says, “America recently made Oppenheimer. But in our country, we are shooting down our own icons, which is UNBELIEVABLE”

Randeep Hooda said, “In the 80s, there was a movie made on Gandhi ji. Subsequently, movies were made on Sardar Patel, Raja Ravi Verma, Charles Sobhraj, Sarabjit etc. So, why not Savarkar? I think movies are a great medium for reaching out to people, even internationally. America has done that very well recently with Oppenheimer. But in our country, we are shooting down our own icons, which is unbelievable. Hence, my question to everybody is – why not a movie on Savarkar?”

Next, the anchor asked what Veer Savarkar wasn’t in real. Randeep replied, “He was brave and he wasn’t a coward.”

Randeep then asked the media persons, “What is the first word that comes to mind when we talk about Savarkar in today’s day and age?” When someone answered “Maafiveer” (apologist), Randeep thundered, “He was not a maafiveer. Those were petitions or bail pleas, as they were called. Everybody had a right to apply to the court. If anybody has been to court, then you’ll know how you address the court. The language is very respectful though you might not mean it. There were many, many people who wrote that. If you are sentenced to 50 years’ imprisonment in kaala paani in a 7 x 11 cell, you would not rest there and think of it as a resort for the next 5 decades of your life. You will use everything – saam, daam, dand, bhed – to get out of there. He felt that he had a lot to contribute to India’s freedom struggle, culturally and socially.”

He ended his answer by saying, “Dushman ko kiye hue vaade nibhaaye nahin jaate.”

Also Read: Randeep Hooda pays homage to Savarkar on death anniversary, shares experience from Kalapani visit